Carrier for braiding machines



Jan. 26, 1937. w. E. COOK CARRIER FOR BRAIDING MACHINES Filed April 6,1934 Patented Jan. 26, 1937 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 7 Claims.

The invention relates to carriers for braiding machines, and moreparticularly to a carrier of the type having a vertically extendingspindle for the reception of the cop.

Carriers of the type to which the invention relates are mounted upon thetop plate of a braiding machine, and are moved by a series of gears in asinuous path about the axis of the plate as-determined by cam grooves inthe plate.

lowWith this movement of the carrier, not only does the yarn from eachcarrier, a number of such carriers being used in each braiding machine,receive a necessary'oblique trend by reason of the lineal traverse ofthe previously Informed braid or the material upon which the braid isbeing formed, but, as a'result of the radial component of movement ofeach carrier, the yarn from the cops upon the different carriers isentwined in the well known manner.

; The carriers move with considerable rapidity, and, their radialmovement toward the axis of the topplate, or of the braid being formed,creates slack in the run of the yarn between the carrier and the braidbeing formed, which is rapidly taken up with movement of the carrieroutwardly of said axis. This forming and taking up of slack results inwhat is generally known as whipping of the yarn, and is a cause offrequent breakage, causing stoppage of the machine.

It is desirable, in a braiding machine, to have the yarn under sometension at all times, and a common practice, in an eifort to reducebreakage from whipping as much as possible, is to provide-a weightedtraveler acting upon the yarn to take up slack during that movement ofthe carrier tending to create slack and to feed out the yarn during thatmovement of said carrier tending to take up slack. To control theoperative effect of the traveler in its upward and downward movements, acommon practice has been to provide a spring tension device, such as iscommonly used upon a sewing machine, operative upon the yarn asit-leaves the carrier.

One difficulty with carriers of the type to which the invention relates,is the tendency of the cop to overrun in a manner to create slack in theyarn adjacent the cop as the yarnis drawn therefrom.

The yarns used in braiding machines are not of the same diameterthroughout and unevenness in the yarn, with the type of carrierabovereferred to, frequently results in breakage which results in automaticstoppage of the machine due to the dropping of the traveler and itsengagement with a stop mechanism of well known construction.

To prevent overrunning of the cop, a common expedient is the use of apawl and ratchet mechanism automatically actuated to permit the free i,rotation of the cop, when. it is required to draw the yarn therefromWhile limitingv theextent of such rotation in a manner to avoid as muchas possible, excessive overrunning of the cop. The cop movement,however, varies with a change in of diameter of the yarn thereon, sothat this pawl and ratchet mechanism, generally known as a. latchmechanism, While it avoids, to a' limited extent, the snarling of theyarn due to the creation of slack adjacent the cop, does not 1:; adaptitself to the varying quantity of movement of the cop with the changingdiameter of the yarn thereon. The premature stoppage of the movement ofthe cop is a frequent cause of breakage of the yarn, such breakage,however, 20 being lessened by a variance of the traveler movement,which, within limits, can pay out sufficient yarn to prevent suchbreakage.

With the above conditions in mind, I have provided a carrier forbraiding machines wherein 25 the yarn is maintained at a substantiallyuniform tension at all times, notwithstanding variance in the diameterof the various cops with a continued run of the machine. This tension isdeveloped without the-aid of a spring tension de- 30 vice through whichtheyarn passes, the construction being such that in the event of anysudden resistance to the free running of the yarn, this tension willbetemporarily lessened so as to avoid likelihood of breaking of the yarn.35

In the carrier-of the invention, I provide atraveler, the weight ofwhich will be merely suflicient to pay out and take up slack in the yarnbetween the carrier and the braid being formed, with normal operatingconditions of the braider. 40

The construction of the carrier is such that substantially all whip iseliminated, the traveler action being accelerated uponthe initialdevelopment of an initial radial component of movement of thecarrieroutwardly of the axis 45 of the braid.

The construction of the carrier is such that in the event of thedevelopment of excessive tension upon the yarn intermediate the carrierand the braid, the operative effect of thetraveler upon the yarn indeveloping the desiredlight uniform tension, will be instantly relieved.This condition can occur only whenthe carrier is moving away from thebraid being formed, and is of only sumcient durationtopreventjlikelihood of breakage of the yarn due to such increasedresistance.

Another characteristic of the carrier of the invention is thatpossibility of breakage of the yarn is practically eliminated bydeveloping resistance to the turning movement of the cop, whichresistance will be substantially uniform at all times and will beautomatically varied to compensate for a progressively increasing speedof the cop due to a lessening of the diameter of the yarn thereon.

The carrier is also provided with means whereby the vertical run of theyarn as it is withdrawn from the cop, is so guided in relation theretoas to preclude all possibility of its becoming snarled. This permits theuse of cops of very much greater length than is customary, which becauseof the increased length of yarn upon longer cops and the practicalelimination of breakage due to whipping and varying tension upon theyarn, results in a much greater output of a braider than is possiblewhen frequent tying of the yarn because of breakage and a frequentrenewal of cops, is

necessary.

The invention consists primarily in a carrier for braiding machinesembodying therein a base, provided with a vertical spindle, a coprotatably mounted thereon, and means whereby travel may be imparted tothe carrier, an upright paralleling said spindle having an eyetherethrough intermediate the ends thereof, and a second eye adjacentthe top thereof, and means for controlling the run of yarn from the copand for applying tensioning stresses to said yarn consisting in atraveler mounted upon said upright and having free vertical movementthereon toward and from said second eye, and about which the yarn passesin its run from said intermediate eye to said second eye, a bufferspring above and terminating adjacent, said intermediate eye, and aretard member frictionally engaging yarn wound upon a cop upon saidspindle; and a take-off bar, a spacer bar and a retard bar extendingrespectively parallel with said spindle and spaced substantially apart,and from said upright, said rods being of substantially the same heightas the spindle whereby after leaving the cop, the yarn is guided aboutand held out of contact with the cop, and is permitted to have a freevertical run between the top and the bottom of the cop and in such othernovel features of construction and combination. of parts as arehereinafter set forth and described and more particularly pointed out inthe claims hereto appended.

Referring to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a view of a fragmentary portion of the top plate of a braidingmachine with the carrier associated therewith;

Fig, 2 is a side elevation of a carrier embodying the invention;

Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the upright;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the carrier; and

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5--5 of Fig. 2 illustrating in full, andin dotted lines the operative effect of the retard device upon the copwith different diameters of the yarn wound thereon.

Like numerals refer to like parts throughout the several views.

Carriers of the type to which the invention relates are adapted to havemounted, for free rotation thereon, core having wound thereon acontinuous strand of the material to be used in forming a braid. Thecharacter of this strand varies according to the braid to be produced,and throughout this specification this strand will be referred to asyarn. The fully wound core is variously designated as a cop, a bobbin ora spool, but will be herein designated a cop.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in the accompanying drawing,the carrier has a base ii) provided with parallel flanges II and i2adapted to embrace the opposite edges of a sinuous slot I3 in the topplate I4 of a braiding machine, and a pivot [5 adapted to be engaged byslots upon the actuating gears of said machine.

Carried by said base is a vertical spindle i8 adapted to have a freesliding fit with a core 1'. of a cop of yarn is. The core, as shown inthe drawing, consists merely of a tube although it may be provided withends, although such ends are not necessary. The cop is of the side drawtype having a standard oblique winding.

Extending vertically from the edge of the flange ll of the base andparallel with the spindle iii is an upright l9 having an eye 20intermediate the ends and above the longitudinal center thereof. At thetop of the upright i9 is a top eye 2|. The axis of the eye 20 ishorizontal, and that of the eye 2! is vertical. The top of the uprightI9 is connected with a top ring 22 concentric with the axis of thespindle l6 and parallel with the flange H of the base.

Extending from the ring 22 toward said top flange i l are a plurality ofspacer and guide bars, preferably three in number, spaced approximatelyQ0" apart, these bars being rounded as shown and having a smooth finishto facilitate the run 01" the yarn thereover. Said bars are shown at 23,24 and 25, and are used to prevent snarling of the yarn adjacent thesurface of the cop and to facilitate the free run of the yarn verticallyof the cop to avoid any limitation upon the length of the cop. Forconvenience of expression, the bar 23 will be termed a take-oi? bar, thebar 24 a spacer bar, and the bar 25, a retard bar.

To control the run of the yarn from the cop to the braid being formed,which is indicated at 26 in Fig. 1, and supply tensioning stresses tothe yarn in a manner to secure great uniformity in the quality of thebraid produced, I provide means operative upon the yarn intermediate theeye 20 of the upright 19 and the eye 2| preventing the development ofslack between said eye and the braid 26, and a retard device operativeupon the yarn of the cop. As will more fully appear hereinafter, theoperative effect of this retard device varies with the changing diameterof the cop so as to maintain a substantially uniform resistance to theturning of the cop as the yarn is drawn therefrom, until said yarn ispractically fully exhausted.

Except for the means preventing the development of slack and said retarddevice, the yarn has a free run from the cop to the braid, no otherrestraining or controlling device being used, or being usable withoutlikelihood of causing frequent breakage of the yarn.

Mounted upon the upright IS in a manner to have free vertical movementthereon toward and from the eye 2|, is a traveler 2'! of light weight,and oppositely recessed at 28 and 29 to afford channels facilitating thethreading of the yarn about the traveler and the confining of the yarnin a manner to prevent its escape therefrom. Said traveler is providedwith a side extension 30 having a free sliding fit upon a guide bar 3|adjacent the upright It, the functions of this bar being to maintain theextension 30 in the proper relation to a light coiled spring 32 pendantfrom the top plate 22 and terminating adjacent ward radial component ofmovement of the carrier, the extension 38 will engage and compress thespring, so that upon the reversal of the movement of the carrier, or itsinward radial component, the action of gravity upon the travelersupplemented by the expansion of the spring 32,

will rapidly reverse the traveler movement and give it a startingimpulse sufiicient to ensure the taking up of the slack so rapidly as toavoid that looseness of the yarn between the eye 2| and the the spring32 not only checks overunning of the traveler in its upward movement dueto itsmomentum or moving inertia, but overcomes the static inertia ofthe traveler and accelerates the reversal of its radial movement.

It will be borne in mind that the carriers move at high speed and,notwithstanding the light weight of the traveler 21 which is desirable,there would be a tendency of the creation of slack because of overruningof the traveler if the spring 32 were not used. An increase in theweight of the traveler would exaggerate the objectionable conditionsabove referred to.

The function of the traveler 21 is mainly to control the run of the yarnbetween the eye and the braid 26, although by reason of the frictionalengagement of the yarn passing about the traveler there is a slightretardation or resistance to the run of the yarn having avery mildtensioning action. I refer to this because provision is made in thestructure of the carrier to eliminate even this slight tensioning actionunder certain conditions of operation.

As will more fully appear hereinafter, with the outward radial componentof movement of the carrier and toward the end of this movement, it isnecessary to draw yarn from the cop to replace that incorporated in thebraid, this being accompanied by a slight turning movement of the cop.The energy stored in the spring 32 as a result of its compression by thetraveler 21, aids that direct pull upon the yarn, due to the movement ofthe carrier away from the braid.

With a continued run of the braider, there is a gradual reduction in thediameter of the cop, so that the application of power for turning thecop becomes gradually less, owing to the lower radius or shorterleverage at which the energy is applied to the cop. Furthermore, as thediameter of the cop becomes smaller, the quantity of rotary movementthereof in withdrawing the same length of yarn therefrom becomesgreater. The strength of the pull upon the yarn at this time in largemeasure determines the quality of the braid at different points thereof,and if this pull can be made substantially uniform at all times,uniformity in the quality of the braid can be assured. Overrunning ofthe cop, or a variable resistance to its turning movement results ininequality in the tightness of different portions of the braid. A suddenchecking of the movement of the cop may result in breakage of the yarn.

In order to control the tension of the yarn as it is being applied tothe braid, and during the outward radial component of movement of thecarrier, particularly toward the end of this movement, I provide aretard device acting directly upon the yarn of the cop, the arrangementand form of which is such that when the diameter of the cop issufficiently great to cause the application of stresses'thereto by theyarn at the greatest leverage, the retard device will offer greatestresistance to this turning movement, and when such stresses act at theshortest leverage, such resistance will be proportionately less,notwithstanding the greater movement of the cop necessary to remove thesame length of yarn. This will more fully appear hereinafter.

The retard device comprises a curved plate 33 rotatably mounted upon theretard bar 25. The free end of this plate isadjacent the upright l9, therun of the yarn being in a direction away from said plate. The curvatureof the portion of the retard plate 33 engageable with a cop is of aradius substantially the same as that of a full cop.

Acting upon the plate 33 is a tensioned torsion spring 34 encircling thebar 25, one end of this spring being secured in any desired manner to aplate 35 supported from the spindle, to which plate the lower end of thebars 23 to 25 are secured,,and the other end thereof being attached tothe retard plate 33. bottom ofthe core I! of the cop l8.

Satisfactory results are secured without the use of a friction surfaceupon the plate 33, since the surface ofthe yarn upon the cop offerssuflicient resistance to turning movement of the cop even though theface of the plate 33 engaging the yarn becomes highly polished.

Intermediate the flanges I l and I2, and connecting same, is a guide web36 co-operating with the sinuous channel 13.

Thefree end of the plate 33 is flared outwardly slightly to preventabrasion of the yarn, and the eyes Hand 2!, the guide rods 23 to 25 andthe portions of the traveler about which the yarn runs, are suitablyrounded, for the same purpose.

The operation of the herein described carrier is substantially asfollows:--

In a braiding machine, two sets of carriers, one set moving counter tothe other, are used, the carriers being right and left according totheir direction of movement. This condition is indicateddiagrammatically in Fig. 1 of the drawing, the arrows indicating thedirection of travel of the carriers. Each carrier, in following asinuous path, moves about the axis of the braid 26, and during thismovement has a radial component which results in the entwining of theyarn of different cops and the withdrawal of the yarn from each cop tocompensate for that incorporated in the braid. The circumferentialmovement of the carriers of course is also essential.

Themode of operation of the carrier of the present application, however,is dependent almost entirely upon its movement radially of the braid.

When the carriers of a braiding machine have been filled with cops andpower is applied thereto, the operation of each cop will be the same asthat of every other cop except as to the timing of the variousoperations. A description of the action of but one carrier is thereforenecessary.

As the carrier has movement toward the axis of the braid 26, its radialcomponent of movement is sufficiently rapid and great to create slack inthe yarn between the eye 2| and the braid 26. This radius may be as muchas six inches, and the circumferential travel of the carrier will reducethe amount of slack created only by the amount of yarn wound in thebraid.

Upon the initial inward movement of the carrier, the traveler 21 will bein its uppermost position and the spring 32, which is of light tension,will be under compression by the traveler. As the carrier moves inwardlyand slack is created, said spring 32 imparts a rapid starting impulse tothe traveler, so that even though this traveler is of very light weight,it will descend with sufiicient rapidity to take up slack between theeye 2i and the braid as rapidly as it is formed. In actual practice theamount of slack apparent in the yarn is negligible.

Since the retard plate 33, by reason of the action of the spring 34,holds the cop against rotation not only during this movement of thecarrier but also during the major portion of the radial movementoutwardly of the braid immediately following, it will be noted that theyarn has a free run from the cop I!) to the braid 23, the constructionbeing such as to reduce the resistance to this run of the yarn to aminimum. The principal point of resistance is where the yarn passesabout the traveler 2'1, and even at this point, the resistance is notsubstantial.

With a change in the radial movement of the cop from an inward to anoutward direction, the traveler, as with all travelers commonly used incarriers, is drawn upwardly to pay out the slack taken up during itsinward radial movement. The cop remains stationary because of the actionof the retard device thereon until after the traveler engages the spring32 and has compressed this spring to an extent to develop sufficientresistance to traveler movement to overcome the friction between theplate 33 and the yarn of the cop. This occurs just prior to a reversalof the movement of the carrier; and during the final stage of theoutward radial movement of the carrier, this movement developssufficient stress upon the yarn to turn the cop to an extent to drawtherefrom yarn of approximately the same length as that incorporated inthe braid during one inward and outward movement of the carrier.

The plate 33 permits a turning of the cop in a manner to developsufiicient tension on the yarn to close the mesh of the braid to anextent to secure the desired character in the braid. The

tension of the spring 3 acting through the plate 33 controls, in largemeasure, the tightness and uniformity of the braid.

It will be noted that during the major portion of the traveler movement,it is out of engagement with the spring 32, and that this spring isoperative only toward the limit of the outward movement of the carrierand during the initial inward movement thereof.

By reason of the winding employed in filling the cop, the yarn, as it isdrawn therefrom, has a run tangentially of the cop in reaching which ithas a vertical component of movement. After leaving the cop it passesabout the take-01f rod 23 and from said rod passes about the spacer rod24 and the retard rod 25. Three positions of the yarn are shown in Fig.2 of the drawing, one in full lines, the second in dot and dash linesand the third dotted lines.

The run of the yarn is always away from the free edge of the retardplate 33.

After leaving the cop, the run of the yarn is completely around the copbut spaced therefrom by the rods 23, 24 and 25, so that so long as theyarn is held reasonably taut by the traveler 27 there is no likelihoodof the running strand being entangled with loosened strands upon the copin a manner to interfere with the free run of the yarn.

After leaving the rod 25, the yarn passes through the eye 20, downwardlyand about the traveler 21, and upwardly through the eye 2| to the braid26.

It will be noted that the yarn in leaving the cop departs from its trendas wound upon the cop and crosses the wound yarn upon the cop in amanner to prevent any looseness in this yarn at the point where therunning yarn might have a tendency to pick up yarn from the cop in amanner to cause snarling.

The traveler action in always holding the yarn between the eye 2| andthe braid fairly taut, practically eliminates all whipping of the yarnand likelihood of breakage from such whipping.

Under normal running conditions, the retard plate 33 offers sufficientresistance to the turning of the cop to ensure a free vertical movementof the traveler. In fact, this retard device prevents rotation of thecop until, under normal conditions, the spring 32 is sufiicientlytensioned to overcome the friction between the plate 33 and the yarnupon the cop.

Under ordinary conditions, the reciprocations of the traveler will besubstantially uniform at all times. There are times, however, when theremay be an accumulation of error from one cause or another, so that thelength of yarn between the cop and the braid will become sufficientlylessened to necessitate excessive upward movement of the traveler.Over-tensioning of the spring 32 might result in a slight overrunning ofthe cop and retardation of the downward movement of the traveler. Toovercome this difficulty, the eye 20 is so located in relation to themovements of the traveler, that in case of such accumulated error, theyarn may run from the eye 2% to the eye 2i without imparting any suchupward movement to the traveler as will increase the tension of thespring 32. In other words, the position of the eye 2| in relation to thetraveler limits the extent to which the spring 32 may be compressed, andthus contributes toward a substantial uniformity in the tensioning ofthe yarn due to the resistance to the turning movement of the cop. Underthis condition, the yarn is drawn from the cop by a direct pull from thebraid to the cop until expansion of the spring 32 actuates the travelerto control this tension in the usual manner.

When a cop is of full diameter, the pull of the yarn is applied theretoat the greatest effective leverage, and the extent of movement of thecop is the least. As the diameter of the cop becomes smaller, however,there is a lowering of the effective leverage and an increased movementof the cop with each actuation thereof.

The form of the plate 33 and the action of the spring 34 is such as todevelop the maximum frictional resistance to the movement of the copwhen the yarn is acting at its greatest leverage, but as the diameter ofthe cop becomes smaller, not only does the tension of the spring 34become weaker, but the contact area between the plate 33 and the surfaceof the cop becomes less.

I have found that with this arrangement a sufficiently uniform tensionof the yarn may be secured to produce a braid having substantially thesame qualities throughout its length. Not only is the resistance to theturning of the cop, as its diameter becomes smaller, reduced by thelowering of the tension of the spring acting upon the plate 33, but thefriction area between the plate and the surface of the cop is alsoreduced. In this manner the shortening of the leverage at which the yarnacts and the increased turning movement of the cop at such lower diameters is compensated for. Even with short cop movement, I have foundthat the mere lessening of the tension of the spring 34 does not securea desired control of the resistance to the turning of the cop with achanging diameter thereof, and that even if the friction areaof theplate 33 engaging the cop remains the same, there is a gradual increasein the tension developed in the yarn due to the increased braking actionbecause of the greater movement and increased speed of the cop as theyarn is drawn therefrom.

With a carrier embodying the invention, it is possible to secure anincreased output of a braiding machine due largely to the fact thatbreakage of the yarn does not occur to interrupt the continuity in therun of the machine. It is possible, with carriers constructed inaccordance with the invention, to operate the braiding machines at amaximum speed permitted by the working conditions about the plate 14.Such cam plates are subject to rapid wear if a machine is operating attoo high speed, and such Wear results in such instability of thecarriers as to interfere with a proper operation of the machine. Thiscam plate condition is the sole limitation as to the speed at which amachine, equipped with carriers embodying the invention, may beoperated, since increased speed, so far as the carrier is concerned,does not develop whipping or interfere with the uniform tensioningaction in the manner above described.

By using rods 23, 24 and 25, the run of the yarn after leaving the copis so controlled that it is possible to use cops of much greater lengththan those used upon carriers not embodying such rods. The outsidedimensions of the carriers are controlled by other conditions about themachine. The use of longer cops, however, permits the operation of abraider over longer intervals without replacing exhausted cops withfresh ones, and this is desirable in increasing the output of themachine.

In Winding the cops, approximately the same length of yarn may beincluded in each cop, and

where breakage of the yarn is substantially eliminated, it is possibleto continue a run of the machine until the yarn upon all of the cops isexhausted at substantially the same time.

It is not my intention to limit the invention to the precise details ofconstruction shown in the accompanying drawing, it being apparent thatsuch may be carried without departing from the spirit and scope of theinvention.

I have found, in the actual use of carriers embodying the invention,that the desired functioning of the carriers is the result of thoseconditions which permit the free run of the yarn from the cop tothebraid, without any control thereover excepting that from a lighttraveler intermittently acted upon by a spring, and the development of atension in the yarn by a retard device acting on the cop, in the mannerherein described.

Having described the invention, what I claim as new and desire to haveprotected by Letters Patent, is:--

1. A carrier for braiding machines embodying therein a base, providedwith a vertical spindie, a cop rotatably mounted thereon, and meanswhereby travel may be imparted to the carrier, n upright parallelingsaid spindle having an eye therethrough intermediate the ends thereof,and a second eye adjacent the top thereof, and means for controlling therun of yarn from the cop and for applying tensioning stresses to saidyarn consisting in a traveler mounted upon said upright and having freevertical movement thereon toward and from said second eye, and aboutwhich the yarn passes in its run from said intermediate eye to' saidsecond eye, a bufier spring above and terminating adjacent, saidintermediate eye, and a retard member frictionally engaging yarn woundupon a cop upon said spindle, and a takeoif bar, a spacer bar and aretard bar extending respectively parallel with said spindle and. spacedsi'ibstantially 90 apart, and from said upright, said rods being ofsubstantially the same height as the spindle whereby after leaving thecop, the yarn is guided about and held out of contact with the cop, andis permitted to have a free vertical run between the top and the bottomof the cop.

2. A carrier for braiding machines embodying therein a base, providedwith a vertical spindle, a cop rotatably mounted thereon, and meanswhereby travel may be imparted to the carrier, an upright parallelingsaid spindle having an eye therethrough intermediate the ends thereof,and a second eye adjacent the top thereof, and means for controlling therun of yarn from the cop and for applying tension stresses to said yarncon sisting in a traveler mounted upon said upright and having freevertical movement thereon to- Ward and from said second eye, and aboutwhich the yarn passes in its run from said intermediate eye to saidsecond eye, a buifer spring above and terminating adjacent, saidintermediate eye and normally disengaged from said traveler, a platehaving a variable degree of curvature, a support upon which said plateis mounted, and a tensioned spring engaging said plate with the yarnupon the cop, said support being positioned radially of said spindle,and the varying radius of said plate ensuring a progressively decreasingcontact area between the same and the yarn with a lessening of thediameter of the cop,

3. A carrier for braiding machines embodying therein a base, providedwith a vertical spindle, a cop rotatably mounted thereon, and meanswhereby travel may be imparted to the carrier, an upright parallelingsaid spindle having an eye therethrough intermediate the ends thereof,and a second eye adjacent the top thereof, and means for controlling therun of yarn from the cop and for applying tensioning stresses to saidyarn consisting in a traveler mounted upon said upright and having freevertical movement thereon toward and from said second eye, and aboutwhich the yarn passes in its run from said intermediate eye to saidsecond eye, a buffer spring above and terminating adjacent, saidintermediate eye, a plate having a variable degree of curvature, asupport upon which said plate is mounted, and a tensioned torsion springengaging said plate with the yarn upon the cop, said support beingpositioned radially of said spindle, and the varying radius of saidplate ensuring a progressively decreasing contact area between the sameand the yarn with a lessening of the diameter of the cop.

4. A carrier for braiding machines embodying therein a base, providedwith a vertical spindle, a cop rotatably mounted thereon, and meanswhereby travel may be imparted to the carrier, an upright parallelingsaid spindle having an eye therethrough intermediate the ends thereof,and a second eye adjacent the top thereof, and means for controlling therun of yarn from the cop and for applying tensioning stresses to saidyarn consisting in a traveler mounted upon said upright and having freevertical movement thereon toward and from said second eye, and aboutwhich the yarn passes in its run from said intermediate eye to saidsecond eye, a bufier spring above and terminating adjacent, saidintermediate eye, a plate having a variable degree of curvature, a

support upon which said plate is mounted, and

a tensioned spring engaging said plate with the yarn upon the cop, saidsupport being positioned radially of said spindle, and the varyingradius of said plate ensuring a progressively decreasing contact areabetween the same and the yarn with a lessening of the diameter of thecop and means parallel with said spindle and positioned in spacedrelation about the cop thereon, whereby after leaving the cop, the yarnis guided about and held out of contact with the cop and is permitted tohave a free vertical run between the top and the bottom of the cop.

5. A carrier for braiding machines embodying therein a base, providedwith a vertical spindle, a cop rotatably mounted thereon, and meanswhereby travel may be imparted to the carrier, an upright parallelingsaid spindle having an eye therethrough intermediate the ends thereof,and a second eye adjacent the top thereof, and means for'controlling therun of yarn from the cop and for applying tensioning stresses to saidyarn consisting in a traveler mounted upon said upright and having freevertical movement thereon toward and from said second eye, and aboutwhich the yarn passes in its run from said intermediate eye to saidsecond eye, a bufier spring above and terminating adjacent, saidintermediate eye, a curved plate, a support upon which said plate ismounted, and a tensioned spring engaging said plate with the yarn uponthe cop, said support being in a position and the curvature of saidplate being upon a radius which will ensure a progressively decreasingcontact area between the same and the yarn with a lessening of thediameter of the cop, and a takeofi bar, a spacer bar and a retard barextending respectively parallel with said spindle and spacedsubstantially 90 apart, and from said upright, said rods being ofsubstantially the same height as the spindle whereby after leaving thecop, the yarn is guided about and held out of contact with the cop, andis permitted to have a free vertical run between the top and the bottomof the cop.

6. A carrier for braiding machines embodying therein a base, providedwith a vertical spindle, a cop rotatably mounted thereon, and meanswhereby travel may be imparted to the carrier, an upright parallelingsaid spindle having an eye therethrough intermediate the ends thereof,and a second eye adjacent the top thereof, and means for controlling therun of yarn from the cop and for applying tensioning stresses to saidyarn consisting in a traveler mounted upon said upright and having freevertical movement thereon toward and from said second eye, and aboutwhich the yarn passes in its run from said intermediate eye to saidsecond eye, a bufier spring above and terminating adjacent, saidintermediate eye, a curved plate, a support upon which said plate ismounted, and a tensioned torsion spring engaging said plate with theyarn upon the cop, said support being in a position and the curvature ofsaid plate being upon a radius which will ensure a progressivelydecreasing contact area between the same and the yarn with a lesseningof the diameter of the cop, and a takeoff bar, a spacer bar and a retardbar extending respectively parallel with said spindle and spacedsubstantially 90 apart, and from said upright, said rods being ofsubstantially the same height as the spindle whereby after leaving thecop, the yarn is guided about and held out of contact with the cop, andis permitted to have a free vertical run between the top and the bottomof the cop.

'7. A carrier for braiding machines embodying therein a base, providedwith a vertical spindle, a cop rotatably mounted thereon, a plate forsupporting a cop spaced from the bottom of said spindle, and meanswhereby travel may be imparted to the carrier, an upright parallelingsaid spindle having an eye therethrough intermediate the ends thereof,and a second eye adjacent the top thereof, a ring concentric with saidspindle and adjacent the top of said upright, a take-off bar, a spacerbar and a retard bar extending vertically from said plate to said ringparallel with said spindle, and spaced substantially 90 apart and fromsaid upright, whereby after leaving the cop, the yarn is guided aboutand held out of contact with the cop, and is permitted to have a freevertical run between the top and the bottom of the cop, and means forcontrolling the run of the yarn from the cop and for applying tensioningstresses to said yarn consisting in a traveler mounted upon said uprightand having free vertical movement thereon toward and from said secondeye, and about which the yarn passes in its run from said intermedi ateeye to said second eye, a guide rod adjacent said support, said travelerhaving an opening through which said rod passes, a coiled spring oflight tension pendant from said ring encircling said rod and having itslower end terminating adjacent said intermediate eye, a curved plate, asupport upon which said plate is mounted, and a tensioned springengaging said plate with the yarn upon the cop, said support being in aposition and the curvature of said plate being upon a radius which willensure a progressively decreasing contact area between the same and theyarn with a lessening of the diameter of the cop.

WILLIAM E. COOK.

